Digital Commons Network^™

A Mixed Methods Study Of Secondary Educators' Perspectives Of Edmentum As A Credit Recovery Tool In Evergreen High School, Jaya Sudha Thumati

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study quantitatively examined the impact of Edmentum Courseware as a credit recovery tool as measured by student course completion rates and course grades, and compared graduation rates before and after its implementation at Evergreen High School (pseudonym) located in a rural district in Upstate South Carolina. Additionally, the study also qualitatively explored the perspectives of secondary educators regarding the application of Edmentum Courseware as a tool for credit recovery and its effect on student success. Using the framework from three learning theories, which are Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1962), Universal Design for Learning (Rose & Meyer, 2002), and …

Interpretable Repertoire Search For Computer Supported Aural Skills Teaching: A Searchable Sia Based Digital Companion, Peter G. Fielding

Bailey School of Music Faculty Publications

Aural skills teaching depends heavily on repertoire selection, yet many large print and heritage song collections remain difficult to search in pedagogically meaningful ways. Teachers may need melodies with limited pitch collections for early solfège, modal examples for comparative listening, or repertory with controlled chromatic complexity, but such features are rarely indexed in printed sources. This paper proposes a computer-supported response to that problem: a searchable, rights-aware digital companion built around tonic-centered successive interval arrays (SIAs). SIAs provide an interpretable representation of pitch space by encoding the cyclic step pattern among the pitch classes present in a melody after tonic …

Designing For Engagement: A Comparison Of Canvas And A Visual Peer Review Dashboard, Alon Friedman, Md Dilshadur Rahman, Ly Dinh, Paul Rosen

School of Information Faculty Publications

Peer review is an underutilized yet potentially powerful strategy for fostering evaluative judgment and design literacy in visualization education. Critiquing visual work requires domain-specific competencies that extend beyond generic peer feedback; however, widely adopted platforms such as Canvas provide limited support for the cognitive and visual demands of visualization critique. We introduce VisPeerReview, a visualization-specific learning analytics dashboard (LAD) designed to scaffold peer feedback through an integrated visualization display, rubric-guided prompts, and inline annotation tools. We evaluated VisPeerReview through a three-phase mixed-methods study conducted in an undergraduate data visualization course, comparing it with Canvas’s default peer-review workflow. Drawing on interaction …

La County Voters' Preferences In California Gubernatorial Race - 2026 Los Angeles County Voter Poll, Thomas And Dorothy Leavey Center For The Study Of Los Angeles

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2026 LA County Voter Poll conducted by StudyLA involved a 20 minute online survey of 958 registered voters in LA County. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish between February 11th and March 16th, 2026 and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning Los Angeles and governance reform.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections: (1) toplines, or total responses for each question and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics. The following report presents data pertaining to all substantive questions. This survey was made possible through a generous …

Causes And Best Practices To Minimize Disciplinary Referrals For Minor Behavioral Issues In General Education Classrooms With Special Education Populations, Beth Moran

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of setting one and setting two special education students with disruptive behaviors are being integrated into general education classrooms in the elementary grades. When these students are referred to formal disciplinary processes by general education teachers for minor behavioral issues, they lose classroom time. Collecting data to identify the causes of minor behavioral issues can inform decisions about the distribution of special education students in general education classrooms and the selection of appropriate classroom management strategies by grade level. Identifying and selecting best practices to minimize behavioral issues within settings one and two for special education students …

“The Irishmen – Immigrants, Soldiers, And The Spark Of Revolutions”, Joshua Hanscheck

History Theses

The Irish, as a people and a revolutionary inspiration, have been the subject of research and discussion for much of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A trope has emerged that the Irish could take over the world, if they were not so busy chasing the bottom of their pub glasses, but the trope – stereotypes about Irish drinking aside – is grounded in some truth. The diaspora encouraged many things: a revival in Gaelic culture, a general disdain among outsiders for the Irish as a people group, and, most importantly, a revolutionary fervor that seemed almost infectious. This fervor …

Artificial Intelligence Adoption In The Workplace. An Exploration Of Augmentation, Oyinkansola O. Sodiya

Management Dissertations

As collaborative work with artificial intelligence (AI augmentation) gains interest, it is crucial to investigate factors that affect how employees perceive and use AI tools at work. Drawing on task-technology fit and technology adoption theories, this dissertation examines the ways in which task dimensions, organizational contexts, and individual differences affect the perceived usefulness of working with AI tools. This dissertation demonstrates that task-technology fit is fundamental. Employees in jobs with high information processing demands are likely to positively perceive the usefulness of AI augmentation relative to employees in jobs with high interpersonal demands. Employees with more proactive personalities perceive greater …

Toward Interpretable Multi-Omics Multimodal Biomedical Artificial Intelligence, Yanjun Lyu

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

The complexity of human disease arises from biological processes that unfold across multiple scales, from molecular variation through cellular function, tissue organisation, brain phenotypes, each of which is associated with distinct measurement modalities, regularities, and characteristic. Contemporary biomedical artificial intelligence has brought the opportunity to reveal the complexity with in; however, its methodological default, in which models are trained on most readily available modality, does not adequately engage with the multi-scale connected structure by which biological meaning is constituted. The research area of multi-omics and multi-modal AI for biomedicine remains at an early exploratory stage, and the work presented in …

Pre-Training And Interpretability In Deep Learning Models, Weizhi An

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

In the evolving field of artificial intelligence, the efficacy of deep learning models is often gated by the quality of their training and the clarity of their decision-making processes. This dissertation addresses these crucial challenges by focusing on two key areas: enhancing pre-training strategies and improving model interpretability. Our approach is twofold, integrating novel pre-training methodologies that embed domain-specific knowledge early in the model training process, and developing advanced techniques for disentangling and clarifying the decision-making mechanisms within these models. The first direction of our research employs MoDNA, a motif-oriented pre-training framework specifically designed for DNA language models. By leveraging …

Uncertainty Quantification, Propagation & Conjunction Assessment In Orbital Mechanics Using Generalized Polynomial Chaos Expansion & 2-Dimensional Conjunction Plane Analysis Techniques, Monalisa Karim

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Uncertainties, that are inherent to dynamic models, can be associated with state initial conditions, force modelling errors, navigation and actuation errors. In system modelling stochastic differential equations are used to represent dynamic phenomena with uncertainties, for which the solutions are probability density functions of quantities of interest characterizing the realization of the stochastic processes. In Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) propagation, these solutions are represented as weighted sums of multivariate spectral polynomials that are functions of the input random variables. Generalized polynomial chaos expansion (gPC) is an extension to the original homogenous PCE which projects the random solution onto a basis …

Influence Of Microbial Communities And Dilute Heavy Metals In Green Manure On Growth In Lactuca Sativa, Robert Lemay

Student Research Projects

This experiment investigated the effects of a green manure (Lemna minor, common duckweed) grown in varying levels of heavy metals and inoculated with local microbiomes on a crop (Lactuca sativa, volcana lettuce). The growth and health of the duckweeds were measured via root length and biomass, and the health of the lettuce crop was measured via head diameter and biomass.  Two levels of heavy metal concentrations were based on real-world stormwater runoff data to mimic an agricultural environment where accumulation of metals in local water bodies may be absorbed into green manure duckweeds. One microbial treatment and …

Limitations Of Reproductive Manipulation By Bacterial Endosymbionts In A Spider Host, Jordyn D. Proctor

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts are common in arthropods. Many of these bacteria manipulate host reproduction to favor the production of infected females, thereby increasing bacterial prevalence in the host population, even if cost is incurred to the host. However, there are also many factors that may inhibit symbionts’ ability to spread in host populations, including environmental constraints, symbiont-imposed costs on the host, interactions with co-infecting bacteria, or host biology. I explored two aspects of symbiont biology within a spider host, Mermessus fradeorum (Linyphiidae), which has varying combinations of up to five different bacterial endosymbionts in local populations: Rickettsiella, Tisiphia …

Impacts Of Livestock Dewormers On Dung Beetle Foraging Choices Across Spatial Scales, Madison L. Kluge

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Dung beetles provide ecosystem services in pasture systems but are vulnerable to chemical residues in livestock dung. Parasiticides containing macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are used to control parasites in livestock and are excreted unmetabolized in dung, exposing non-target organisms to these compounds. We used a multi-scale approach to examine whether ML residues alter dung beetle foraging ecology. At the field scale, we assessed dung beetle abundance and community composition using traps baited with dung from untreated cattle and cattle treated with ivermectin, moxidectin, or eprinomectin across eight farms and natural areas. At a smaller scale, we conducted behavioral assays to quantify …

Social Protection To Foster Inclusive, Resilient Early Childhood Education In Kenya, Uganda, And Tanzania, Nyagwegwe Wango

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

In order to evaluate the efficacy of systems approaches in enhancing early childhood education (ECE), this study summarizes outcomes from the SESEA and F4L programs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The study investigates how context-responsive ECE, social-emotional learning (SEL), and social protection (SP) interventions contribute to improvements in teaching practices, inclusion, and learner outcomes using mixed-methods data, including teacher surveys, classroom observations, and policy analysis. The findings show significant improvements in inclusive classroom practices, gender-sensitive pedagogy, and teacher confidence, especially when reflective peer learning and continuous mentoring are incorporated. Children’s academic performance and well-being have been linked to the integration …

Spatial Clustering And Determinants Of Dengue Incidence Among The Young Population Of Northern Thailand During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sopida Supotina, Kasama Pooseesod, Tassanee Silawan, Nattapong Puttanapong, Sayambhu Saita

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Dengue infection remains a significant public health concern in Thailand, particularly among young populations. The emergence of COVID-19 introduced additional complexity to disease surveillance and control efforts. This study aimed to determine the spatial clustering and determinants of dengue incidence among individuals under 25 years of age in Northern Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecological analysis was conducted across 103 districts in eight northern provinces. District-level dengue incidence rates of individuals under 25 years of age for 2021 were calculated and analyzed using global Moran’s I and local indicators of spatial association (LISA) to detect spatial clustering. Bivariate LISA was …

Localized Ks Assessment For Bioretention In Thailand : Improving Swmm Accuracy, Chulalux Wanitchayapaisit, Damrongsak Rinchumphu, Prattakorn Sittisom, Thidarat Kridakorn Na Ayutthaya, Chana Sinsabvarodom, Oleg Gorbunov, Sitthikorn Sitthikankun

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Urbanization in Thailand has significantly reduced natural infiltration surfaces, intensified stormwater runoff, and increased the demand for effective urban drainage solutions. Bioretention systems, guided by water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) principles, offer a promising approach for enhancing infiltration and mitigating urban flooding. However, the effectiveness of bioretention depends critically on the accurate estimation of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), a key input parameter in hydrological models such as the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Despite international guidelines, local Ks values for tropical soils and vegetation remain scarce, limiting model reliability. This study aims to determine its suitability as a filter media layer …

A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Caregiver Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Related To Interoception And Feeding Responses Among Children With Adhd, Paige Mehlberg

Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that impacts attention, impulse control, and self-regulation, which may also influence eating behaviors and nutrition status. Children with ADHD are more likely to experience feeding challenges, including selective eating, inconsistent appetite, emotional eating, and difficulty recognizing hunger and fullness cues. These challenges may be partially explained by deficits in interoception, or the ability to perceive internal body signals. Caregivers play a key role in shaping feeding behaviors. However, limited research has examined caregiver knowledge and practices related to interoception in this population. 
Objective: To examine caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and practices related …

Effectiveness Of A Six-Week Nutrition And Cooking Education Program On Nutrition Knowledge And Cooking Skills In Unhoused Families, Lucy Mehlhaff

Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

Objective: establish a nutrition and cooking education program at a transitional housing facility in Sioux Falls, SD and evaluate its effect on both nutrition knowledge and cooking skills in participants.
Methods: Using the nutrition education curriculum “Families Eating Smart and Moving More” (FESMM), we conducted a 6-week nutrition and cooking education program at the transitional housing facility, Bishop Dudley Center for Families (BDCFF), in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Participants attended didactic sessions led by a master’s student in nutrition and dietetics that encouraged healthy and cost-effective eating, as well as took part in hands on cooking lessons with assistance from …

Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Related To Interoception And Feeding Behaviors In Children With Adhd: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Hayleigh Young

Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

Objective: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience challenges related to interoceptive awareness, which can impact feeding behaviors and overall nutrition. Parents play a critical role in supporting the development of these skills, however limited research has examined parental knowledge and practices related to interoception and child feeding behaviors. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to interoception and child feeding behaviors in children with ADHD to help inform the development of parent-focused educational resources.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed based on a targeted review of literature examining ADHD, interoception, and …

Flow Injection Determination Of Fluoride For Total Organic Fluorine Analysis, Memona Zulafiqar

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals that have gained increasing attention due to their association with a wide range of adverse health effects. These compounds are highly diverse, with approximately 15,000 PFAS reported. Their exceptional environmental stability and strong tendency to bioaccumulate result in environmentally relevant concentrations that typically occur at very low levels, often in the ng L⁻¹ range. This chemical diversity presents a major analytical challenge, as reference standards are available for only a limited number of PFAS. Consequently, conventional targeted analytical methods frequently quantify less than 1% of the total PFAS present, leading to a …

Liutex - A Fluid Vortex, Oscar Alvarez

Mathematics Dissertations

Fluid vortices are found everywhere in our universe. A vortex can take the form of almost anything - from the classical spiral vortex to chaotic plumes. Defining a vortex physically and mathematically is absolutely necessary if we desire to study vortices and their interactions with each other as well as our physical world. Fluid vortices are incredibly important in the study of turbulent flows. From determining wear, optimizing design for better flow, efficiency, etc., to even predicting the weather on Earth or other planets, having the ability to measure vortices in fluid flow is invaluable. In this study, I investigate …

The Effects Of Strong Parental Support And Societal Support Compared To Low Or Absent Support In Lgbtqia+ Youth, Kassandra Bautista

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: LGBTQIA+ youth with unsupportive backgrounds face negative outcomes in their mental health. Past studies share that LGBTQIA+ youth have increased symptoms of mental illness including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors related to unsupportive environments among parents, peers, and society. Objective: By advocating for this minority group through education and culturally competent care, healthcare providers can reduce negative outcomes in the mental and physical well-being of the youth. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to address the impact of parental and societal support in LGBTQIA+ mental health, and to implement interventions and increase awareness of this issue. …

Comparing Nurse-Led Holistic Pain Relief Strategies And Sole Pharmacological Use In Enhancing Maternal Satisfaction, Reducing Pain, And Lowering Obstetric Interventions During Childbirth, Jessica C. Moore

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Childbirth has become heavily reliant on pharmacological management and obstetric interventions such as epidural use, labor induction, and cesarean deliveries (C-sections) even among low-risk pregnancies. While necessary in some cases, excessive reliance on pharmacological interventions can negatively impact the experience of birthing as a whole. Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as breathing techniques, positioning, hydrotherapy, massage, aromatherapy and continuous support have shown to be effective in reducing pain and supporting physiologic labor. The gaps in education and lack of standard implementation result in inconsistent application in practice. Purpose: This research proposal aims to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led NPIs compared …

How Social Media And Cyberbullying Correlate To Eating Disorders In Adolescents, Nicoli A. Panelo

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Social media is very prevalent in today’s society, particularly in adolescents. This time period is crucial for this age group in terms of developing a sense of purpose and identity. Although social media may keep many of our children entertained, they also can create negative impacts on them and ultimately hinder their overall development both mentally and physically through negative body image and unrealistic self-expectations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find the correlation between social media use and the rise of eating disorders in adolescents. Doing so would allow us to find ways to lower the …

Supporting New Graduate Nurses: Residency, Mindfulness, And Simulation, Shaianne Kaye S. Intal

Nursing | Senior Theses

The purpose of this research proposal is to examine the effectiveness of support systems in helping new graduate nurses bridge the potential gap between nursing education and clinical practice. It aims to address the inconsistencies in nursing education and clinical practice, and how these strategies can better support new graduate nurses. This study will focus on new graduate nurses within their first 2 years of practice in an inpatient setting. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design approach will be used by combining quantitative questionnaires with qualitative interviews at the same time. This will evaluate the effectiveness of nurse residency programs, mindfulness-based …

Bridging The Language Gap: The Impact Of In-Person Versus Remote Interpreter Services On Medication Adherence And Patient Safety In Adult Spanish-Speaking Patients, Ashley E. Alarcon Martinez, Jocelyn N. Lopez Maradiaga

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Significant health inequities are caused by language barriers between patients and health care staff, resulting in miscommunication among adult Hispanic patients with low English proficiency, reducing medication adherence, impairing patient safety, and raising the possibility of medical errors. To address this issue, interpreter services, both in-person and remote translation, have been introduced in healthcare settings to enhance communication. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in patient safety and medication adherence between in-person and remote translation services for adult Hispanic individuals with limited English proficiency in healthcare settings. Methods: The proposed research involves five local …

The Impact Of Parental Mental Health On Infant Outcomes In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Length Of Stay, Feeding, Bonding, And Developmental Progress, Andee L. Plaskett

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a highly stressful environment for both infants and their parents. Poorer infant outcomes, including longer hospital stays, feeding difficulties, and delayed developmental progress can all be a reflection and outcome of elevated parental distress. Currently, mental health distress and infant screening tools are used in most NICUs but are not seen in all practices, it is also important to provide interventions based on the screening results. Screening tools are used to identify a problem but interventions should be implemented to try to alleviate the problem. Objective: By implementing a standardized screening …

Health Disparities In Cardiovascular Care: The Impact Of Diabetes Education And Post-Discharge Interventions For African American Adults At Risk For And After Myocardial Infarction, Trinity L. Billingsley

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting African American adults at higher rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Diabetes as a comorbidity is one of the risk factors of experiencing a myocardial infarction, remaining one of the leading causes of death among individuals with diabetes. Objective: To examine the effectiveness of structured diabetes education tailored to African American adults who are at risk for and after a myocardial infarction. Additionally assessing the complications of a myocardial infarction, the outcomes associated with structured education will be compared to the outcomes of …

Human Milk Feeding And Its Impact On The Incidence Of Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Maya C. Kern

Nursing | Senior Theses

One of the leading causes of morbidity and death for preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW) newborns is still necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Existing literature consistently shows that the bioactive, anti-inflammatory, and microbiome-supporting components of human breast milk, including donor human milk, significantly lower the incidence of NEC. However, a lot of infants are forced to rely on formula and nutrient fortifiers because they cannot obtain maternal or donor milk. A critical gap persists regarding whether human milk derived fortifiers offer greater NEC protection than bovine derived fortifiers in infants who must receive formula. This thesis examines three interconnected themes; …

Blister Packaging Versus Bottles: Caregiver Accuracy And Child Safety In Pediatric Medication Gummy Administration, Paolo Olimpiada

Nursing | Senior Theses

The safety of medication in pediatric settings has become an increasing concern as gummy-formulated medications have gained popularity in children’s care. Gummy-formulated medications have a close resemblance to candy, and this may mislead children to ingest additional doses or more than what was prescribed. Children also depend a lot on their caregivers for medications. Therefore, the design of packaging would be impactful in supporting medication dosing accuracy. And studies have evaluated safety features of packaging related to adherence, misuse, and unintended administration. However, limited studies have examined the influence of medication packaging on the dosing accuracy at the time of …